WO1993018678A1 - Press-device for securing laces - Google Patents

Abstract

A press-device (1) for securing laces (8) contains two diametrically opposed apertures (4, 5) through which the laces (8) are fed. The apertures (4, 5) pass vertically through the press-device (1) when it is open. An inner bush (2) is guided in a large outer bush (3) in such a way that it is vertically movable in relation thereto. The inner bush (2) houses a ring. When the outer bush (3) is pressed, the conversion of the vertical movement into a horizontal circular movement causes the ring to rotate so that the press-device (1) immovably clamps the lace.

Description

 Snap fastener for locking laces

description

The invention relates to a push button for locking laces.

Especially for kindergarten children who have not yet learned how to lace shoelaces on their own would be a device that makes shoe lacing unnecessary. Proposals for such a device are described in EP 0 314 628 A2, FR 1,518,038 and US 3,500,508, US 3,345,707 and US 948,071. The present invention has for its object to provide an improved and even easier to use such device.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a push button for locking laces, which is characterized by the following features:

an inner sleeve is guided in an outer sleeve so that they are movable substantially perpendicular to each other;

the inner socket houses an internal, rotatably mounted body;

means are provided which, upon relative displacement between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve, cause the body to rotate;

at least one opening allows the laces to be passed through;

each opening is formed by a bore penetrating the inner bush, the body and the outer bush; the bores of the inner sleeve, the body and the outer sleeve assigned to each opening are aligned with one another when the push button assumes the unlocking position, so that the shoelace can be carried out freely;

a relative displacement between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve from the unlocking position causes the holes to be displaced, which firmly locks the shoelace;

Preferably, two mutually offset openings are provided for the passage of one shoelace end.

The push button according to the invention also prevents the laces from loosening themselves. The circular movement of the inner ring ensures that the laces are securely jammed.

The push button according to the invention allows quick and easy locking of laces on any type of shoes, especially children's shoes.

After the lacing of shoes has proven itself over thousands of years, but until now no absolutely safe method of lacing and easy loosening is known, the solution described here offers the possibility of permanently locking and releasing the laces on shoes with a simple hand movement .

By knotting the ends of the shoelaces, the push button can be secured against unintentional sliding out of the shoelaces.

The push button is advantageously designed such that two mutually offset openings are provided for Implementation of one shoelace end, preferably at least one offset of the shoelace ends when the inner bushing and outer bushing are pressed together, which ends when the inner bushing and outer bushing are pulled apart again. Expediently, when the outer sleeve is pressed, the body is rotated by transmitting the vertical movement in a horizontal circular movement, so that the push button firmly locks the shoelaces, while the jamming is released again by pulling gently upwards.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the inner body has at least one surface which is beveled with respect to its axis of rotation, the bevel of which extends essentially in the circumferential direction of the body. A projection is provided opposite the beveled surface, which slides on the beveled surface when the inner bushing and the outer bushing move relative to one another and thereby rotates the body. The beveled surface preferably starts from a side of the body which is essentially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the body.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the body has two beveled surfaces, each of the beveled surfaces being opposite a projection. The projections are expediently attached to the inner surface of the bushing, which lies opposite the beveled surface, preferably on the inside of the outer bushing.

According to a development of the invention, means are provided which limit the maximum displacement of the two bushings. Other means advantageously prevent twisting between the inner socket and the outer socket. The rotatably mounted body is expediently in operative connection with at least one spring which counteracts the rotation of the body caused by the relative movement between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve during the locking process or causes a return when the locking is released.

A particularly simple construction results if the inner bush and the outer bush are circular cylindrical and the rotatably mounted body has a circular cylindrical circumferential surface which is guided by the inner wall of the inner bush, the rotatably mounted body preferably being designed as a ring. If, in addition, at least one of the bushings is provided with an axially extending hub, around the outside of which the ring is rotatably mounted, a particularly stable mounting is obtained, which ensures reliable rotation of the ring. If, in addition, according to a further embodiment of the invention, one of the sockets preferably has an axially extending projection in the middle thereof, which is guided displaceably in a cylindrical recess which is provided in an axially extending projection of the other socket, the push button is of a particularly stable construction , which facilitates its operation. The axially extending projection provided with the cylindrical recess is preferably designed as a central hub, which guides the ring or causes the spring to be held.

The most effective clamping effect is achieved if the bores pass through the rotatably mounted body parallel to its axis of rotation, since each end of the shoelace then undergoes a 360 ° wrap.

In order to counteract tilting of the rotatably mounted body, the bores for the passage of the shoelaces preferably penetrate the rotatably mounted body on diametrically opposite sides. For the same reason, the beveled surfaces are preferably arranged diametrically opposite one another, whereby they are advantageously mirror-symmetrical to one another.

According to a preferred embodiment, the bores which pass through the rotatably mounted body and the beveled surfaces which are arranged thereon are offset with respect to one another by approximately 90 ° with respect to its axis of rotation.

In a particularly preferred development of the invention, a cover plate is provided between the rotatably mounted body and the outer bush, which is held on the inner bush and has bores which are aligned with the bores of the outer bush and thus allow the laces to be passed through. The cover plate also expediently has openings which lie above the beveled surfaces of the rotatably mounted body, so that projections on the outer bushing can act on the beveled surfaces so as to rotate the rotatably mounted body for the purpose of locking the laces. The circular movement of the inner, rotatably mounted body pulls the shoelaces in joints between the inner surface of the inner sleeve and the rotatably mounted body and between this and the inner surface of the cover plate, where they are clamped.

So that the joints and thus the play between the moving parts can be kept small, shallow troughs, in which the shoelace ends can be clamped, preferably join in the end region of the bores of the rotatably mounted body, contrary to the direction of rotation assumed during the locking process. If areas of the troughs are additionally provided with a friction-increasing surface, the clamping effect is further improved.

The push button is particularly easy to operate if the outer socket contains a protruding grip area.

The mold production for the components, which are preferably injection molded, is particularly simple if the push button has a cylindrical shape. This also contributes to the fact that the push button can be manufactured with good stability and with minimal material expenditure.

According to an additional variant of the invention, the free ends of the shoelaces are detachably held in shaped pieces which are larger than the openings in order to prevent the shoelaces from being unintentionally pulled out of the push button. The shaped pieces preferably have a through hole, and an additional hole adjacent to one end of the through hole, into which the free end of the shoelace end guided through the through hole can be inserted.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a push button for locking laces is created, which has the following features:

the push button has a cylindrical shape;

the laces are passed through two openings arranged diametrically to one another;

the openings go through it vertically when the push button is open;

an inner socket is guided in a larger, outer socket so that it can be moved perpendicularly thereto; the inner socket houses an inner ring;

when the outer sleeve is pressed, the ring is rotated by transmitting the vertical movement in a horizontal circular movement, so that the push button firmly locks the shoelaces, while the pull is released again by pulling slightly upwards.

The locking of the shoelaces is particularly secure when an intermediate cover plate is provided, the circular movement of the inner ring pulling the clamped shoelaces into joints between the inner circular surface of the inner bush and the inner circular surface of the cover plate.

According to a preferred development of the invention, the inner ring has two chamfered openings, while two pins are provided on the outer sleeve, which act on the chamfered openings when the outer sleeve is pressed and transmit the vertical movement into a horizontal circular movement of the inner ring .

The accompanying drawings and the following description serve to further explain the invention. Figures 1 to 8 show the individual parts of a preferred embodiment of the push button according to the invention, while Figures 9 to 14 illustrate their interaction.

Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a circular cylindrical inner sleeve, which forms the lower part of the push button;

Fig. 2 shows a section along the line II-II of

1 through the inner socket of FIG. 1st Fig. 3 shows a plan view of the underside of a circular cylindrical outer sleeve with a larger one

Diameter in which the inner bush shown in Figures 1 and 2 is guided vertically displaceable, with perpendicular here being understood as the direction of arrow D in Figures 2 and 4;

Fig. 4 shows a section along the line IV-IV of

Fig. 3 through the outer socket of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 shows a plan view of an inner ring which is received by the inner sleeve and is rotatable relative to this;

Fig. 6 shows a side view of the inner ring shown in Fig. 5 in the direction of arrow VI of Fig. 5;

7 shows a cover plate which is fitted into the inner bush after the ring has been inserted;

Fig. 8 shows a section along the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 7 through that shown in Fig. 7

Cover plates;

Fig. 9 shows a perspective view of the push button composed of the components shown in Figs. 1 to 8 in operation with threaded laces and fittings attached to the ends thereof, wherein the push button is shown in Fig. 9A in a position in which the laces are free are displaceable, and wherein in Fig. 9B the push button in a

Position is reproduced in which the Shoelaces are locked by means of a 360 ° loop;

FIG. 10 shows an exploded perspective view of the push button with the laces passed through, the operating position corresponding to FIG. 9A being shown in FIG. 10A and the operating position corresponding to FIG. 9B being shown in FIG. 10B;

11-14 show sectional views through the assembled push button, with FIGS. 11 and 12 corresponding to the operating position shown in FIGS. 9A and 10A and FIGS. 13 and 14 corresponding to the operating position shown in FIGS. 9B and 10B.

The figures show an exemplary embodiment of a push button 1, the external view and mode of operation of which is shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B.

The push button 1 contains a circular cylindrical inner socket 2 and a circular cylindrical outer socket 3, which is slidably guided on the outside on the inner socket 1 so that the sockets 2 and 3, as indicated by the arrow D, can be pushed together and pulled apart. The snap fastener 1 contains, with respect to its longitudinal axis, which in the illustrated case coincides with the arrow D, two diametrically opposite openings 4 and 5, through which the ends 6 and 7 of a shoelace 8 are passed, which when the in the Fig. 9A, 10A and 11, 12 shown operating state of the push button 1, as indicated in FIG. 9A with dashed lines, straight and loosely penetrates the push button, and this when taking the operating state shown in FIGS. 9B, 10B and 13, 14, as in Fig. 9B with dashed lines indicated, two cranked passes through the push button 1, so that each end 6, 7 of the laces in the area of the push button 1 undergoes a 360 ° wrap.

The free ends 6, 7 of the shoelace 8 carry shaped pieces 9 and 10, which contain a through bore 11 and a further bore 12, which is provided adjacent to one end of the through bore 11 and makes it possible to in each case the tip of the inserted through the through bore 11 Insert the shoelace ends 6 or 7 after a bend of approximately 180 °, so that the shaped pieces lock them after the ends have been pulled back. This prevents unintentional removal of the push button 1. This can alternatively also be achieved without the fittings 9, 10 if the ends 6 and 7 are provided with a knot, but this is not shown in the drawings.

The details of the push button are explained in more detail below.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the inner bushing 2 contains a circular disk-like base 13 which, as indicated by the reference number 14, is retracted on the outside in the manner of a plate. On the inside of the base 13, and set back from its edge 15, a circular-cylindrical side wall 16 is fastened in one piece, as well as a circular-cylindrical hub 17, at least in its lower region. The side wall 16 and the hub 17 are arranged concentrically with one another, their central axis defines the central axis of the push button. On the upper edge of the ring-shaped pot formed by the side wall 16, the top of the base 13 and the top of the hub 17, there is a circumferential groove 18, 19 at the same height on the inside of the side wall 16 and on the outside of the hub 17. into which a cover plate 20 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 can be pressed, which closes the pot at the top. The hub 17 also contains in the region of its upper end a lateral flattening 21 which, in cooperation with a correspondingly shaped central recess 22 in the cover plate 20, prevents its rotation about the central axis.

The hub also contains a longitudinal slot 23, into which the free end of a leaf spring 24 can be inserted, with which a circular ring 25 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is provided, which is received in the pot of the inner bush 2.

The hub 17 contains in its interior a cavity 26 which extends over its entire length and has a square cross section, which is narrowed at the upper end by a collar 27. In the cavity 26, a pin 28 projecting in a protruding manner centrally on the inside of the outer socket 3 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is slidably guided, the outer contour of which corresponds to the inner contour of the cavity 26 and which is provided at its free end with a protruding bead 29 is. The collar 27, in cooperation with the bead 29, prevents the pin 28 from being pulled out of the cavity 26 as soon as the pin 28 overcomes the elastic deformability of the material forming the bead 29 and the collar 27, and through a broken upper edge 30 of the pin 28 assists in the assembly of the push button 1 in the cavity 26 is pressed. The collar 27 and the bead 29 thus prevent the push button 1 from being pulled apart via the open position shown in FIG. 9A.

All components of the push button are preferably made of plastic. In the bottom 13 of the inner bushing, two through bores 31, 32 are also made at diametrically opposite points in the area of the pot and adjacent to its side wall 16, which form the entrance to the openings 4 and 5.

The outer sleeve 3 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 consists of a circular cover 33, which is integrally provided on its inside with a recessed, circular cylindrical side wall 34 which, as can be seen in particular from FIGS. 9A and 11, along the outside cylindrical side wall 16 of the inner socket 2 is displaceable. In the preferred example shown, the side walls 16 and 34 are of equal height, which results in optimal guidance and prevents dirt from entering the inside of the push button.

In the cover 33 there are also bores 35, 36 which define the exit of the openings 4, 5 and are aligned with the openings 31, 32 when the bushings 2 and 3 are assembled as described above. Approximately orthogonal to the plane connecting the bores 35, 36 in the middle, with reference to the direction of rotation of the ring 25 indicated by the arrow 37 during the locking process, rear flanks 38, 39 of pins 40, 41 begin to protrude parallel to the central axis of the push button 1 protrude from the inside of the circular cover 33 and their front end faces 42, 43 point to the upper edge region of beveled surfaces 44, 45 on the edge region of the circular ring 25 when the operating state shown in FIGS. 9A, 10A and 11, 12 is assumed Limit openings 46, 47 on one side. The length of the pins 40, 41 is dimensioned such that when the bushes 2, 3 are pushed together in the direction of the operating state shown in FIGS. 9B, 10B and 13, 14 they slide along the beveled surfaces 44, 45 until they slide into an end position get where they are lie in the continuous area of the openings 46, 47 in front of the beveled surface 44, 45. The beveled surfaces 44, 45 merge into a step 48 at the lower end, which on the one hand prevents the material of the ring 25 from being weakened there too much, and on the other hand ensures that, as can be seen in FIG. 14, the pins 40, 41 rest with their rear flank 38, 39 on the step 48 when the push button 1 assumes the locking position. This creates a lock that prevents the disk 25 from being rotated against the arrow 37 when the shoelace 8 is pulled before the pins 40, 41 are retracted.

The circular ring 25 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 has a circular cylindrical outer surface 49 which is interrupted only by the openings 46, 47 and partly by the beveled surfaces 44, 45. Their outer diameter corresponds almost to the inner diameter of the circular cylindrical side wall 16 of the inner sleeve 2. The ring 25 further contains a continuous inner bore 50, the diameter of which is larger than the outer diameter of the hub 17, so that 25 space for the between the hub 17 and the ring Leaf spring 24 remains, which surrounds the hub in a circular arc and, as described above, can be inserted with its free end into the longitudinal slot 23. The spring 24 is attached and dimensioned such that when it is held in the longitudinal slot 23 in the relaxed state, it supports the ring 25 in an angular position relative to the inner bush 2, in which the pins 40, 41, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 , lie against the upper end of the beveled surfaces 44, 45. The ring 25 also contains these perpendicular through holes 51, 52, which are offset by approximately 90 ° to the position of the tapered surfaces 44, 45, such that they are with the holes 31 and 32 of the inner sleeve 2 and the holes 35, 36 of the outer socket 3 are aligned when the push button 1 is shown in FIGS. 9A, 10A and 11, 12 occupies the operating location shown. The holes 51, 52 are not shown in FIG. 6 for reasons of clarity. In the end region of the bores 51, 52, these expand against the direction of rotation 37, which is adopted during the locking process, into flat troughs 53, 54 and 53a, 54a, which are provided with friction-increasing corrugation 55 in the front region adjacent to the bores. When the push button is locked, the laces 8 are pressed into joints which arise between the bottom 13 of the inner bush 2 and the opposite lower troughs 53a, 54a and between the cover plate 20 and the upper troughs 53, 54, which is most clearly shown in FIG. 14 emerges.

The pins 40, 41 engage through recesses 56, 57 on the edge of the cover plate 20, which further has bores 58, 59, which with the bores 31, 32 of the inner sleeve 2, the bores 35, 36 of the outer sleeve 3 and Taking the operating state shown in FIGS. 9A, 10A and 11, 12 with the bores 51, 52 of the ring 25 are aligned.

The individual parts are assembled in such a way that the push button 1 in the open state, in which the outer bush 3 is not completely pushed over the inner bush 2, has the bores 31, 32 or 35, 36 or 51, 52 lie vertically, ie in the direction of arrow D, one above the other, so that the ends 6, 7 of the shoelace 8 are freely insertable through these holes. When a finger is pressed on the top of the push button 1, ie on the top of the outer socket 3, the two vertical pins 40, 41 arranged in the socket 3 act on the chamfered openings in the inner ring 25. This causes the ring 25 to rotate , wherein the vertical movement of the pins 40, 41 in a horizontal circular movement of the ring 25 in the direction of Arrow 37 is implemented. This circular movement of the inner ring 25 pulls the shoelaces in joints between the inner circular surface of the cover plate 20 and between the inner ring 25 and the inner socket 2, whereby the shoelace 8 is firmly clamped and immovably locked. This rotation of the ring 25 simultaneously tensions the spring 24. By gently pulling on a grip area 60 of the outer socket 3, which is formed by the protruding edge of the circular cover 33, the pins 40, 41 are withdrawn and the lock released, so that the Ring 25, against the direction indicated by arrow 37, can be rotated into the unlocking position. The rotary movement is initiated by pulling on the shoelace 8 and / or the tension of the spring 24.

Claims

Claims 1. Push button (1) for locking shoelaces (8), g e k e n n z e i c h n e t d u r c h following features: an inner socket (2) is guided in an outer socket (3) so that they can be moved essentially perpendicular to one another; the inner bush (2) houses an internal, rotatably mounted body (25); means (40, 41; 44-48) are provided for a relative displacement between the inner bush (2) and the outer sleeve (3) cause the body (25) to rotate; at least one opening (4; 5) allows the laces (8) to be passed through; each opening (4; 5) is formed by a bore (31, 35, 51; 32, 36, 52) passing through the inner bush (2), the body (25) and the outer bush (3); the bores (31, 35, 51; 32, 36, 52) of the inner sleeve (2), the body (25) and the outer sleeve (3) assigned to each opening are aligned with one another when the push button (1) is in the unlocking position, so that the laces (8) can be carried out freely; a relative shift between the inner socket (2) and the outer socket (3) from the unlocking position causes a displacement of the Bores (31,35,51; 32,36,52), which firmly stuck the laces (8). 2. Push button according to claim 1, characterized in that two mutually offset openings (4; 5) for Implementation are each a shoelace end _(6/7), wherein preferably at least a bend is carried out of the lace ends (6,7) upon compression of the inner socket (2) and outer sleeve (3) at a Pull apart the inner socket (2) and outer socket (3) again. 3. Push button according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when pressed on the outer Bushing (3) is rotated by transmitting the vertical movement in a horizontal circular movement of the body (25), so that the push button (1) clamps the shoelace (8) immovably, while the jam is released again by pulling slightly upwards. 4. Push button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner body (25) has at least one surface (44; 45) which is beveled with respect to its axis of rotation, the bevel running essentially in the circumferential direction of the body (25), and in that opposite the beveled surface (44; 45), a projection (40; 41) is provided, which at a Relative displacement of the inner sleeve (2) and outer sleeve (3) in the direction of each other slides on the beveled surface (44; 45) and thereby rotates the body (25). 5. Push button according to claim 4, characterized in that the beveled surface (44; 45) starts from a side of the body which extends substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the body (25). 6. Push button according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the body (25) has two chamfered surfaces (44; 45), and that each of the chamfered surfaces (44; 45) is opposite a projection (40; 41). 7. Push button according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the projections (40; 41) are attached to the inner surface of the socket (3), which lies opposite the beveled surface. 8. Push button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that means (27, 29) are provided which limit the maximum displacement of the two sockets (2, 3). 9. Push button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that means (26, 28) are provided which prevent rotation between the inner sleeve (2) and the outer sleeve (3). 10. Push button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotatably mounted body (25) is operatively connected to at least one spring (24) which prevents the body from rotating (25) counteracts that is generated by the relative movement between the inner sleeve (2) and the outer sleeve (3). 11. Push button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner socket (2) and the outer sleeve (3) is of circular cylindrical design, and that the rotatably mounted body (25) has a circular cylindrical peripheral surface (49) which is guided by the inner wall of the inner sleeve (2). 12. Push button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotatably mounted body (25) is designed as a ring. 13. Push button according to claim 12, characterized in that at least one of the bushings (2) is provided with an axially extending hub (17), around the outside of which the ring (25) is rotatably mounted. 14. Push button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one of the bushings (3) has an axially extending projection (28) which is guided in a cylindrical recess (26) which is in an axially extending projection (17) another socket (2) is provided. 15. Push button according to claim 14, characterized in that the provided with the cylindrical recess (26), axially extending projection (17) is designed as a central hub. 16. Push button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bores (51, 52) penetrate the rotatably mounted body (25) parallel to its axis of rotation. 17. Push button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bores (51, 52) for carrying out the shoelace ends (4; 5) pass through the rotatably mounted body (25) on diametrically opposite sides. 18. Push button according to one of claims 6 to 17, characterized in that the beveled surfaces (44; 5) are diametrically opposite one another and are mirror-symmetrical to one another. 19. Push button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bores (51, 52) which pass through the rotatably mounted body (25), and the beveled surfaces (44; 45) which are arranged thereon, based on the latter Axis of rotation, offset from each other by about 90 °. 20. Push button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a between the rotatably mounted body (25) and the outer sleeve (3) lying cover plate (20) which is held on the inner sleeve (2) and bores (58, 59) has that with the bores (35,36) of the outer Align socket (3). 21. Push button according to claim 20, characterized in that the cover plate (20) has openings (56, 57) which lie over the beveled surfaces (44; 45) of the rotatably mounted body (25) when it is in the unlocking position. 22. Push button according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that the circular movement of the inner, rotatably mounted body (25), the shoelaces (8) in joints between the inner surface of the inner sleeve (2) and the rotatably mounted body (25) and between this and the inner surface of the cover plate (20) pulls and clamps. 23. Push button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the end region of the bores (51, 52) of the rotatably mounted body (25) counter to that taken during the locking process Connect the direction of rotation (D) to flat troughs (53, 54; 53a, 54a) in which the shoelace ends (6, 7) can be clamped. 24. Push button according to claim 23, characterized in that regions of the troughs (53, 54; 53a, 54a) are provided with a friction-increasing surface (55). 25. Push button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the outer socket (3) contains a protruding grip area (60). 26. Push button according to one of claims 6 to 25, characterized in that the rotatably mounted body is designed as an inner ring (25) which has two chamfered openings (44, 45; 46, 47), and that on the outer socket ( 3) two pins (40; 41) are provided, which act on the beveled openings when the outer bush (3) is pressed and transmit the vertical movement into a horizontal circular movement of the inner ring (25). 27. Push button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is a cylindrical Has shape. 28. Push button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the free ends of the shoelaces are detachably held in shaped pieces (9; 10) which are larger than the openings (4; 5) to prevent unintentional pulling out of the laces (8) from the push button (1). 29. Push button according to claim 28, characterized in that the shaped pieces (9; 10) contain a through-bore (11) and an adjacent to one end of the through-bore (11) further bore (12) into which the free end of the through Through hole (11) guided shoelace end (6.7) can be inserted.